Sponge



T. SCHROEDER SPONGE Filed May 16 1921 Is 17 flow/1 e 23.

Patented Jan. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

meow-1E soriitbnnnn, or s1. Louis, MissoUn-I.

SPONGE.

Application filed May 16,

1 0 all iii/10222 it may concern.

Be it known that T, Trrnononr. Scanoiwm, .a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis and State of ldiissonri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sponges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sponges.

Sponges grow to and are obtained in various sizes. The small size sponges are too small for practicable use for many purposes. Small size sponges and pieces of sponges have been sewed together. by passing threads through them in an effort to buildup a large size sponge, composed of two or more small sponges or pieces of sponges which separately were too small for practicable use. The threads or stitches binding the: sponges together necessarily compress the sponges wherever the threads or stitches pass through them. The usefulness of the sponge as such is thereby greatly diminished.

Sponges and pieces of sponges have also been placed side by side and sewed or nailed to flexible or rigid supports in efforts to produce sponge of practicable size composed of two or more small sponges or pieces of sponges of impracticable size. The sewing or the nailing of the sponges to the supports necessarily compresses portions of the sponges and greatly diminishes or destroys the utility thereof.

An object of my invention is to unite two or more small sponges or pieces of sponges of impracticable size to form a sponge of practicable size without seriously or to any appreciable extent diminishing the utility of the sponge so produced. By my invention I am able to unite two or more sponges of impracticable size to produce, to all intents and purposes, a sponge possessing all the desirable characteristics and of a practicable size.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a View showing two small sponges or pieces of sponges separately.

Fig. 2 is a View showing the two small sponges or pieces of sponges united to form a single sponge device without the use of stitches or other expedients that would destroy or interfere with any of the natural characteristics of the sponge.

Fig. 3 is a View showing a number of sponges secured to a flexible holder such as canvas.

1921. Serial No. 470,083.

In producing a sponge in accordance with my present invention I take a number of small sponges or pieces of sponges and ap ply to the substantially flat surfaces thereof a non-abrasive, elastic, flexible, bonding substance which will. form a very strong adhesive union between the sponges. The substance may be vulcanized, either under the influence of heat or in the cold, and the sponges, haying the adhesive substance thereon, held together under proper pressure. The sponges will be retained together under proper pressure until the process of vulcanizing has been completed, or until the bonding substance is completely set.

A substance I have found highly useful and practicable consists of liquid rubber thinned with benzene. In practice the mixture is applied to one of the cut surfaces of the sponges or pieces of sponges and allowed to dry. Next, a preparation composed of chloride of sulphur and carbon dioxide is applied to the dried substance on the sponges or sponge pieces, after which the sponges or pieces of sponges are placed together and pressed until the vulcanization or process of cohesion is completed.

I have found that such a substance will not close or materially constrict the pores of the sponges, so that there is sui'licieut room for the water to saturate one sponge from the other and to pass freely across through all of the sponges.

The line of union of the sponges is nearly invisible as shown in Fig. 2, where it will be seen that the line 1, although it is the line that originally separated the sponges nearly imperceptible. The composite sponge shown in Fig. 2 is of a size equal to the size of the two sponges of which it is composed.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 a number of sponges are placed side by side and are bonded to a strip 2 of canvas or other appropriate material, although the sponges need not be bonded to each other unless desired. The vulcanizing or other material 3 by which the sponges are united to the strip 2 does not interfere with the natural characteristics of the sponges in any material respect. 7

A handle f may be provided in connection with the supporting strip .for the reception of the band.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention is of a highly practicable nature. I have succeeded in devising a needed use for sponges which are too small for practicable purposes. Large quantities of these small sponges appear on the market and it has been long desired to obtain a practicable method of uniting the sponges Without the use of stitches or'other eXpedients holding the sponges under compression. My invention obtains these results.

I do not restrict myself to unessential features or limitations, but what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A composite sponge composed of a number of small sponges united to each other by an insoluble adhesive and obtaining their original characteristics of absorption and expansion.

2. A composite sponge composed of a number of sponges united together by an insoluble adhesive and being free from compression in all directions.

3. A composite sponge, composed of a number of sponges side by side, and a nonabrasive, compressible, elastic, insoluble substance adhesively bonding the sponges to gether.

A. A composlte sponge, composed of a number of sponges side by side, and a nonabrasive, compressible, elastic, insoluble substance adhesively bonding the sponges together and leaving the pores in the adjacent surfaces of the sponges open.

5. A sponge composed of a number of sponges placed side by side, a flexible strip, and an elastic, flexible non-abrasive insoluble substance adhesively bonding the sponges to said strip.

6. The method of making a sponge, which consists in applying an insoluble adhesive to a plurality of individual small sponge sections, placing the sponge sections together and pressing the same until the said sections permanently adhere to one another forming a built-up sponge possessing substantially all of the original characteristics of the sponge material.

7. The process of producing a sponge from a plurality of sponge sections, consisting in applying to a relatively straight surface of each section an adhesive insoluble in Water, in assembling said sections by placing the adhesively coated portions in contact with adjacent sections, and in permanently uniting said assembled sections to one another to provide a built-up sponge structure possessing the characteristics of a. one-piece sponge.

8. A large size commercial sponge possessing the absorptive qualities of a natural integral sponge, comprising a series of small commercial sponges, the cells of which are unfilled, secured together by an insoluble elastic adhesive.

9. The method of making large size commercial sponges which consists in coating contiguous surfaces only of small commercial sponges with an insoluble elastic adhesive, and pressing said surfaces together until said adhesive sets.

THEODORE SCHROEDER. 

